Shadow spiders are carnivorous ambush predators from the Plane of Shadow that prefer to hunt on the Material Plane. They possess frightening intelligence and cunning.

A shadow spider is a huge, shadowy arachnid. It has a 5-foot-diameter body and stands roughly 2 1/2 feet tall. Its eight eyes are such a deep red colour that they appear black.

A shadow spider maintains a larder (actually a pocket in the Plane of Shadow) stacked with the desiccated corpses of its prey. The monster never carries treasure; it simply leaves its victims’ possessions on the corpses. When its larder becomes overfilled, the shadow spider abandons it and finds a new one to fill with food.

Shadow spiders speak Common.

COMBAT

A shadow spider prepares elaborate traps for its victims in dungeons and caverns. It uses its silk slick ability to make a slope or stair slippery, then waits in the shadows at the bottom. When a creature falls, the shadow spider steps out of the shadows and attempts to grab its prey with its four fore claws. If successful, the monster uses shadow walk to carry the victim to its larder in the Plane of Shadow. Once there, the shadow spider paralyzes and abandons that creature, then returns to its trap for more prey. Only when there are no more creatures, or it is in danger of dying, does a shadow spider return to its larder and begin eating. Shadow spiders never clean up their traps, so adventurers occasionally get forewarning of one from the dropped items (belongings of past victims) that litter the area.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a shadow spider hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with two claw attacks, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +29). If it gets a hold, it has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use two claws to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the shadow spider is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals damage for two claw attacks.

Paralysis (Ex): A shadow spider’s teeth are coated with a paralyzing fluid. Any creature hit by its bite must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 21) or be paralyzed for 4 rounds.

Silk Slick (Su): As a full-round action, a shadow spider can spray a layer of spider silk over any solid surface. It can cover up to 100 square feet with this substance, which dries and evaporates in 13 rounds. The slick silk functions in all other respects like a grease spell (caster level 13th; Reflex save DC 21).